Auto Industry NewsAnd Car Reviews

The traditional vision of buying a car starts with visiting a car dealership, letting a salesman help you narrow down your options, taking your prospective models on a test drive, then spend lengthy amounts of time haggling the price before the hours of paperwork begin. Millennials are over it, and they don’t have the time or desire to buy based on showroom experiences anymore!

The US Department of Energy recently published an article about the consumption of energy by a hybrid or electric vehicle and how that stacks up against gasoline use. With the rising cost of both electricity and gasoline worrying consumers, many wonder if it is actually worth it to buy a hybrid or EV. After all, the cost of owning an electric car or hybrid does go beyond the savings of not having to buy gas.

People looking for car loans lately have likely noticed that getting approval has become much easier. Financiers are now making it easier to get a line of credit, even if the borrower has higher risk factors and less than ideal credit. This better access to financing has led to skyrocketing sales in the auto industry. U.S. auto industry experts are reporting the best sales since the year 2007.

While every driver knows how much gas prices have risen in recent years, the spiraling cost of motor oil hasn’t received nearly as much attention. This is unfortunate, because oil is every bit as vital as fuel to a properly functioning automobile. One step many car owners are taking to save money is to use synthetic oil instead of natural blends. But are synthetics worth their higher cost? Let’s take a look at both types.

With states like New York, North Carolina, and Massachusetts looking to ban the sale and registration of Tesla models, and Texas already banning sales—the auto maker is asking the White House for help. The electric car company has plans to send a petition seeking support to the White House by the end of next week.

Lexus looks to dominate the luxury car market once again in the United States—they want to knock Mercedes-Benz and BMW down a few notches in the eyes of the consumers and become the top selling luxury brand in this country country. A major part of their plan includes a more aggressive, in your face-style advertising campaign.

The federal government has auto manufacturers in a state of suspense—new rules are expected over the next few months which could open the doors for connected cars. The new rulings might jump start the market for automobiles which can communicate with the road itself as well as other cars. The anticipation of these cars won’t come without trouble to auto makers, however. Car companies face real challenges to bring this technology to fruition should the government open the gate to make the technology possible.

Imagine the following: you’ve been on the road since 6 a.m., and it’s now well past sunset. You’ve got three more hours to go before you’re home and the last thing you want to do is stop. So you drain the cup at your side of its last lukewarm drops of coffee and turn the radio up a little louder. You think you’re wide awake, but actually your eyelids are drooping. A moment later they shut… “ALERT! ALERT! DRIVER FALLING ASLEEP!”

It seems that 47 mpg is now the “magic number” for hybrid fuel economy, as car makers rush to meet Obama's lofty CAFE target by 2025. In his proposal, the cumulative average fuel economy for a given car company's entire product portfolio is expected to be 54.4 mpg by the 2025 model year. And that certainly sounds good on paper. But not all models are required to get 54 mpg. That number is merely a mathematical exercise, designed to force car companies to start building more fuel efficient vehicles.

Failure to comply with the government's fuel economy standards will result in steep fines that can amount to thousands per vehicle sold. In order to comply, the combined average fuel economy for most vehicles in a car company's lineup will need to be around 35 mpg, not 54 mpg. To protect their corporate average (CAFE actually stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy), vehicles that average less than 35 mpg, are offset by vehicles that exceed the average. Hence, the importance of 47 mpg hybrids like the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid.

The "Connected Car Industry 2013" report, published by Telefonia, goes into great detail about an expected change in the cars of the future. This report calls for the most significant change in the auto industry in many, many decades—a change brought on by consumer demand. What is this major overhaul all about? A built-in internet connection for your car.